Foldable reclining chair



1953 A. KIRCHOFER FOLDABLE RECLINING CHAIR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 1, 1950 INVENTOR.

ALVIN KIRCHOFER ATTORNEYS 1953 A. KIRCHOFER 2,654,417

FOLDABLE RECLINING CHAIR Filed March 1, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. -1. 3.7. ALVIN KIRCHOFER ATTORNEYS Oct. 6, 1953 A. KIRCHOFER FOLDABLE RECLINING CHAIR 3 Sheets-Sheet 35 Filed March 1, 1950 v v INVENTOR.

ALVIN KIRCHOFER j ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 6, 1953 FOLDABLE RECLINING CHAIR Alvin Kirchofer, Newburgh, N. Y., assignor to Newburgh Metal Mfg. Corp., Newburgh, N. Y.,

a corporation of New York Application March 1, 1950, Serial No. 147,019 6 Claims. (c1. 155-111) This invention relates to improvements in foldable chairs having incorporated therein structural features whereby the user may recline at various angles.

A further object of this invention is to provide a light weight folding chair made up of tubular components of light weight metals and adapted particularly for summer and outdoor use.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel chair construction capable of being folded into an exceedingly compact unit for easy transportation and storage.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a combination built up of tubular light weight elements to facilitate portability by reason of the lightness of the construction employed.

Another object of the invention is to incorporate in such a structure a self-acting mechanism by means of which by the proper shifting of the users weight, he may recline in various positions from an upright sitting position to a substantially horizontal reclining position.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a structure in which the relatively movable parts to effect reclining in various positions automatically lock in these various positions.

Other and more detailed objects of the invention will be apparent from the following decription of the embodiment thereof illustrated in the attached drawings.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair incorporating the features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof with the upper portion of the back broken away and with a portion of the seat cover support shown in cross-section, showing the chair fully unfolded and the back in its most vertical position;

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the relative shifting of the back and seat frames with respect to the leg frames for one of the reclining positions of the chair;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view showing the chair partially folded;

Figure 5 is a similar view showing folded;

Figure 6 is a lefthand elevational view of the folded structure of Figure 5 showing only the righthand portion of the chair;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view on the line 'i-i of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 8ii of Figure 2; and

it fully pivot bolt or pin 4.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional fragmentary view taken on the line 99 of Figure 2.

The specific embodiment of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings is but one example of a combination embodying that invention. As illustrated the supporting framework consists of a pair of legs comprising U- shaped tubular members. One leg frame consists of a horizontal portion I, integral with a pair of upwardly extending portions I l The other U-shaped leg frame consists of a transverse portion 2 and a pair of integral extensions 2 and 2 at the ends thereof. The two U-shaped leg frames are each longitudinaly offset as clearly illustrated in Figure 2, and the free ends of each leg frame are pivotally united in pairs on pivot pins mounted in the arms. The arms 5 and 5 may be of metal of a generally rectangular form open at one end and on the bottom. The portions I and 2 of the leg frames are pivotally mounted on the arm 5 by means of a pivot bolt or pin 3 and similar portions I and 2 are pivotally mounted on the arm 6 by means of the In the embodiment illustrated, as shown in Figure 9, these various members are held in desired spaced relation by means of sleeves I, 8 and 8--. The sleeve 8 lies between a side wall of the arm '6 and the portion I of the front leg frame. Sleeve I lies between the portions I and 2 of the front and back leg frames, and the sleeve 8 lies between the other side wall of the arm 6 and the adjacent face of the portion 2 of the back leg frame. The construction at the pivot bolt 3 on the other side of the chair is the same.

In open position the leg frames are locked in proper relationship by pairs of pivot levers 9. One of these leverage systems is illustrated in detail in Figure 2. It consists of a link Iii pivotally mounted at I I on the front leg frame and a link I2 pivotally mounted at I3 on the rear leg frame. Link I2 is pivotally connected at I4 to the link In intermediate the ends thereof to provide an extension of the link In beyond the pivot point, which extension is laterally offset as at Ill to form a stop in a downward movement of these links to hold them in aligned relation, as shown in Figure 2. These links are collapsed downwardly with respect to this figure in folding the chair, as will be seen better from Figure 4.

The arms 5 and 6 are provided with rearwardly offset extensions I5 and II which may be of metal and welded to the respective arms, as shown, to provide a support for the pivot pins I4 and I6 on which the side members l3 and I3 of the back rest are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends, as clearly shown in several of the figures. The side portions of the back frame are united by the integral cross member I 3. Spacing sleeves I 8 and H) are mounted on the pivot bolts I l and IE to hold the arms 5 and 6 in proper transverse relation to the backrest, as clearly shown in Figure 1. The terminal ends of the side members w and [3 of the back frame are pivotally mounted on a transverse rod 29, on which are also pivotally mounted the ends of the side members 2 I and 2 l of the seat frame which is completed by the cross member 2I.

As clearly shown in Figure 8; these various parts are held in the desired spaced relation on the cross rod by means of collars. Thus a col lar 22 is interposed between the member's H and I3 and a collar is interposed between the member i3 and a U-shaped strip 23 which is pivotally mounted on the end of the rod 28 and eri'clbss the side member 2 of therear leg frame. Pivotally mounted on the rod 253 between the arms and the strip 23 is a concave roller 24 which is preferably of some resilient material such as natural or synthetic rubber or other composition of suitable flexibility. The construction at the other side of the chair is the same as that shown in Figure 8. Each of the seat side frame members 2F and 2N is provided with a longitudinal slot like the slot 25 in Figure 2 and within the tube is mounted a heavy compression spring 28, one end offv'v'hicn rests against a stop as clearly shown in Figure 7. The pivot pin I i which supports one end of the link it '(see Figure 2) ext'e'rids through the front frame side member l and terminates in a ball 2%? lyingwithin the seat side member 2i The fixture 29' by means of which the ball 29 is secured to the pivot pin H is desirably of rectangular cross-section and of such vertical height as to have a sliding fit in the slot 25 and thus serve to hold the parts in operative relation.

The seat and back frames are covered with a canvas strip which is a continuous piece of material and consists of the seat portion SC, the end of which is'sewn'around the transverse member '21 .(see Figure l) and the back portion BC, the 'end of which is sewn around the transverse member i3. As shown in Figure 2, this strip is folded a loop around the rod 26 and is sewn across on the line J. A transverse strip of materialis sewn around the back side members i3? and I3? toform the back support BS,-and similarly the ends "of a strip of ,material are sewn-around the the side members 2H and 21 of the seating frame toform the seat support SS.

In view of the drawings it is hardly necessary to explain how the chair of this invention may be folded and unfolded for storage and use. in using the chair a person sitting in itrelieves his weight on the seat and presses on the back frame by leaning against'the back panel BC and its support BS, causing the back frame to 'pivoton the pivot pins It and 45 at the rear ends of the'arms 5 and 5. This causes the rollers 24 to roll forwardly upon the side members 2? and 2 of the rear leg frame, and as a result moves the pivot rod 29 forwardly. As the seat frame is connected thereto it "is pushed forwardly on the members 29- 29 at the ends of the pivot pins H. This movement causes a compression of springs 28 tending to returnthe seatto its most-rea'rwardly retractedposition. However, when the back -is in theproperreclining-position the'user returns his weightto'the seat which causes a locking-action of the rollers 24 on the side members 2 and 2 and with this normal distribution of the weight the back does not tend to swing upwardly and the seat to slide backwardly. Thus the person may recline in any one of a number of positions in comfort and without strain.

The rollers 24 are of resilientmaterial so that they will deform under the weight of a person sitting in the chair to cause them to flatten at the area of contact with the leg portions 2 2 with the result that they will lock in position. As will be readily understood, by thus flattening the tendency to revolve is eliminated. The actual hardness of the material of the rollers can be vanes ever grainy wide range having the object of effecting this locking action. However, as an example of a suitable material for the rollers it is sug ested that they have a durometer hardness and density of to 95. It will be readily understood that the greater the weight that is imposed on the seat ofth'e chair, the greater will be the locking action by reason of the increased flattem ing of the rollers.

As shown in Figure 8, it is desirable to provide the compressible rollers 2'6 with a rigid bushing, as for example a metal bushing, so as to permit easy rotation thereof on the pivot rod 28., as the chair is opened and closed.

From the above description it willbe apparent to those skilled in the artthat the subject matter of this invention is capable of variation in detail without departure therefrom. I do not, therefore, desire to be strictly limited to the single illustrative embodiment herein given, but only as required by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is: p

l. A folding chair as described comprising a pair of leg frames, a pair of arms, means for pivotally connecting said leg frames in pairs to one end ;of each arm to provide front and back legs for the chair, a seat frame, a back frame, means for pivotally connecting said seat and back frames together at two common points, means for pivotally attaching said back frame on the other ends of said arms above the pivotal connectionsof said seat and back 'frames, means for pivotally slidably connecting said seat frame to the front leg frame, and-pressure d formed locking rollers mounted on said pivotal connections for said back and seat frames and riding on the back 'leg frame, whereby the back frame is locked at any angle of inclination with the vertical within its normal range of inovement, by the weight of the chair occupant. y 2. In the combination of claim 1, said rollers being of resilient material so as to flatten under weight. h

s n-{019m chair of the type described comprising a pair of front and back leg frames, a pair'of arms, means for pivotally connecting said arms at the forward ends to the corresponding free ends of said leg frames on common pivot points, bac'k 'iegname 'inoludingportions -extendin'g upwardly towards said connections with saidarms pairs of pivotally connected links interconnedting said 'le'g'fra'm es "-to lock them'in-a fii fif Op n position, U-sh'a'ped back and seat frames, a rod pivotally interconnecting pairs of ehdsofthe back and'seat frames near the open of each"fra m'e, deformable resilient rollers mounted on the ends of 'said rod andriding on said upwardly extending portions of the back lg ff'alin'e, means for pivotauy connecting each of said arms to the sides of the back'frame inter mediate the ends thereof, and means "for "pivotally connecting the seat frame with said front leg frame, and seat and back frame covers attached to the seat and back frames respectively.

4-. In the combination of claim 3, a pair of straps surrounding the portions of the back leg frame on which said rollers ride and pivotally connected to said rod on opposite sides of said rollers.

5. A folding chair as described comprising a pair of leg frames, a pair of arms, means for pivotally connecting said leg frames in pairs to one end of each arm, to provide front and back legs for the chair, a seat frame, a back frame, means for pivotally connecting said seat and back frames together at two points, means for pivot-- ally attaching said back frame on the other ends of said arms above the pivotal connections of said seat and back frames, means for pivotally and slidably connecting said seat frame to the front leg frame, locking rollers mounted on said pivotal connections for said back and seat frames and riding on the back leg frame, said means for pivotally and slidably connecting said seat frame to said front leg frame comprising headed pivot pins, said seat frame having passages into which said pivot pins project, and compression springs in said passages bearing against said headed pivot pins.

6. A folding chair of the type described comprising a pair of front and back leg frames, a pair of arms, means for pivotally connecting said arms at the forward ends of the corresponding free ends of each of said leg frames, said back leg frame including portions extending upwardly towards said connections with said arms, pairs of pivotally connected links interconnecting said leg frames to lock them in open position, U-shaped back and seat frames, a rod pivotally interconnecting pairs of the ends of the back and seat frames near the open end of each frame, resilient rollers mounted on the ends of said rod and riding on said upwardly extending portions of the back leg frame, means for pivotally connecting each of said arms to the sides of the back frame intermediate the ends thereof, means for pivotally connecting the seat frame with said front leg frame, back frame covers attached to the seat and back frames respectively, said means for pivotally connecting the seat frame with the front leg frame comprising headed pins, said seat frame having passages in the sides thereof in which said headed pins lie and compression springs bearing on said headed pins whereby said seat frame may also slide with respect to said front leg frame.

ALVIN KIRCHOFER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 414,801 Edwards Nov. 12, 1889 1,980,615 Emerson Nov. 13, 1934 2,072,075 Travers Feb. 23, 1937 2,333,761 Beeskow Nov. 9, 1943 2,467,909 Rechler Apr. 19, 1949 

